Cultivated Varieties of Japanese tea - Gokou
Gokou | ごこう
- Registered as an official cultivar in 1953.
- Native to Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.
- This cultivar is often selected for use during tea ceremonies.
Native to Kyoto Prefecture, this cultivar has a long standing histroy of all things noble due to its luxurious taste.
Gokou's flavour profile grows especially distinct when the tea trees are shaded for a prolonged time prior to being harvested.
From a farmer's perspective the window of opportunity for harvesting, especially during the first flush always has to be carefully monitored. The young tea shoots of gokou could harden quickly within the day.
This cultivar is often chosen for the production of gyokuro or matcha.
The young shoots of the gokou cultivar tend to grow in a straight and upward manner. During the first flush of the year, you will be able to spot tea farmers in Wazuka Town checking on their gokou tea fields almost on a daily basis.
Daily checks are important as timing is crucial when it comes to the maintenance of gokou tea fields.
Gokou is often chosen for the production of matcha or gyokuro due to its exquisite taste and the beautiful shade of green the tea leaves take on after being shaded.
On the right is d:matcha Kyoto's gokou tea field that is used for the production of gyokuro. On the left you will be able to see the stark difference in colour once the gokou tea leaves have been shaded.
As the gokou tea fields at d:matcha Kyoto are cultivated pesticide-free, the gokou tea trees are deeply pruned after the first flush of the year is completed. This prevents the tea trees from being infested with insects or infected with diseases, especially during the summer.
